By Bose Adelaja

Lagos—A commercial driver in Lagos, identified as Samson Adewunmi, has reportedly fallen into a coma, on Tuesday, after he was allegedly beaten by suspected garage touts for refusing to pay a N500 levy.

It was gathered that Adewunmi’s Mazda bus was also vandalised by the touts at the Volks bus stop, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

Samson was said to be on his way to Mile 2, at about 7am, when some garage touts stopped him to demand the N500 levy.

Upon refusal to comply with the payment, he was reportedly attacked with sticks and machetes and the windscreen of his Mazda bus was smashed by the garage touts. 

The attack left Samson with deep cuts and he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is currently in a coma.

Abiodun Akintade, National Leader, Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria, JDWAN, who disclosed this, yesterday, said: “On Tuesday, one of our members, a Mazda bus driver, named Samson Adewunmi, was attacked at Volks bus stop by Lagos State caretaker committee formerly known as RTEAN on his way to Mile 2, around 7am, over N500 extortion.

“His windscreen was broken, and he was beaten and macheted, which left two deep gashes on his head, currently in a coma at the hospital and we hope he survives it. 

“This morning (yesterday), the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, arrested over 50 of our buses because of the new yellow bus policy, which came to public notice three days ago. 

“We wonder if this is part of the new transport reform or Lagos commercial drivers’ demands during the seven days strike.

“Where will drivers suddenly get money to paint their buses amidst the current extortion and violent attacks in Lagos?”

Could it be that the drivers’ demands must have irked the state government so much that its first line of action is remembering an expensive law that would further increase the sufferings of drivers and commuters in Lagos?

“Without the extortion and violence, painting a bus in three days would have been feasible for drivers,” he added.